Warning after pets poisoned with deadly antifreeze

Angela Dawson.

An animal lover left devastated after two of her 10 cats were fatally poisoned at the turn of the year is warning people about the dangers of sweet-tasting antifreeze.

Vets were forced to put down Angela Dawson’s pets after they fell ill having ingested the substance while she and her husband, Chris, were away.

It is unclear if the animals – one-year-old Jacobi and 15-year-old Sox – were deliberately or accidentally poisoned.

But Mrs Dawson, from Bramley, Leeds, is calling on people who use antifreeze to take care. “I don’t think a lot of people realise how damaging it can be,” she said.

Grandmother-of-three Mrs Dawson, 46, and her husband, 44, had been to Butlins after Christmas and left the cats with a sitter.

When they returned to their home on New Year’s Eve Mrs Dawson found Jacobi “screaming” and fitting. A visit to the vet confirmed he was suffering from antifreeze poisoning and would have to be put to sleep. Sox later suffered the same fate.

Mrs Dawson said: “I’m absolutely distraught. I love my cats and I just don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I’ve been through.”

Charity Cats Protection said cats were attracted to antifreeze because of its clear appearance and sweet taste.

A spokesman said: “Items like antifreeze and screen-washes are hazardous to cats because they contain ethylene glycol which can cause renal failure and death. As many poisonings are accidental, we would advise people to thoroughly mop up any pools of antifreeze that are left on the ground after working on their cars, as well as store any containers filled with antifreeze well out of their cat’s reach.”